Chopper and cultivator.



PATENTED APR. 30

B. T. ODOM.

CHOPPER AND GULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

OQUOOOOOOOO Z Vi ha coma No. 852,194. PATENTED APR. 80, 1907. E. T. ODO'M.

CHOPPER AND GULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1908.

s sums-slum 2.

No. 852,194. PATENTBD APR. 30, 1907. E. T. ODOM.

CHOPPER AND GULTIVATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 12, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q/vihwooea UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 80, 1907.

Application filed May 12, 1906- Serial No. 316,677.

- which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to agricultural implements, being designed especially for use in planting and cultivating operations and embodies in itsorganization a reciprocatory actuating member or rod adapted to be operated by a suitable mechanism during the travel of the machine over the ground and in turn to operate movable devices either in the formof cultivatin blades or dropper plates with which the ro may, in practice, be connected.

The invention has for its objects to provide a comparatively simple, inexpensive machine of this character of compact form in which the movable devices operated by the rod may be readily interchanged for adaptation in the planting and cultivating operations, one wherein the cultivatin rod will be positively drivenfor effective y operating said devices, and one in which the rod operating melizhanism may be thrown out of action at W1 With these and other objects in view the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machineembodyin the invention and showing the same equipped with seed planting mechanism. Fig. 2 IS a vertical, lon itudmal section taken on the line 2-2 of ig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar. to

1, showing the machine equipped with Fi cuiivating devices embodied in the inven-.

tion. Fig. 4 is a detail, vertical transverse section taken on the line 77 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical, longitudinal section taken on the line 88 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the .drawin s, it will beseen that the main frame of tne machine comprises a substantially rectangular frame member 1 preferably composed of channel iron bent into shape and havin bearings 2 for a shaft or axle 3 on which is wheels 4, there being fixed in the frame 1 a plurality of transversely .extendin frame members or bars 5, 6, 7, preferab y positioned as shown and composed of angle iron ed transporting and of which the bars 6 and 7 are provided with perforations 8 and 9, respectively, arranged at uniformly spaced intervals throughout the entire length of the respective bars, while journaled in suitable bearings 10 in the frame is a drive shaft 11 ada ted for o eration b a suitable motor, not s lOWIl, an connected with and for operatin the shaft 3 through the medium of s roc et chains 12 engaged with s rocket pmions 13 on the shaft 11 and wit sprocket gears 14 fixed on the shaft 3.

Arranged counter to the shaft 3 and journaled in suitable hearings in the frame is a rotary cam shaft 15 provided at its rear end with a bevel pinion 16 in mesh with a gear 17 carried b the shaft 3 and having at its forward en a cam member or wheel 18 provided with a plurality of relativel s aced, segmental cam portions 19 detac aby secured in an appropriate manner to the wheel 18 whlch is arranged for rotation between a'pair of antifriction rollers 20 journaled in suitable bearings between the side portions or arms 21 of a reci rocatory member or slide 22 supported or longitudinal movements in bearings 23 on the frame and having its forward end connected by a link 24 with the upper end of a vertical rocking member or lever 25 pivoted between its ends in a bracket 26 and having its lower end in turn connected by a link 27 with a reciprocatory actuating member or rod 28 extended transversely of the frame and sustained by suitable bearings, said rod being connected for o erating the movable drop ing devices or cigtivating devices, as more y hereinafter explained. It will be understood in this connection that the. gear 17 is adapted for'engagement or non-engagement with the pinion 16, thus to control at will the operation of cam shaft 15, and further that the number and size of the cam portions 19 may be varied for regulating the speed of movement and number of'strokes of the slide member 22, thus to govern the devices operated by the actuating rod 28.

Extended lon itudinally of the frame and counter to the s aft 3 is a steering shaft 29 equipped at its rear end with a bevel pinion 30 an mesh with a worm ear 32 fixed upon the upper end of a vertica post or. staiidard33 journaled in suitable bearings at the front of the at its forward end with a wo 31- in IIO . frame and carrying a fork 34 in which is mounted a air of steering wheels 35 which sustain the front of the machine, there being slidably mounted upon the shaft 3 and for rotation therewith a sleeve 36 adapted for operation by a suitable controlling lever and .carrving a pair of relatively spaced clutch hea s 37 in-the form of bevel gears which may be brought independently into engagementwith the pinion for imparting motion to the steering shaft 29. It is apparent that when one of the gears 37 is engaged with the pinion the shaft 29 will be driven in one direction for operation through the medium of worm 31 and gear 32 to turn the steering wheels 35 to the right or left, as the case may be, while the engagement of the other gear 37 with the pinion effects a reverse to each of the boxes is a downwardly and rearwardly inclined discharge s out or duct 39 havin its lower end arrange for delivery into the ifurcated rear portlon of a furrow opening member or runner 40 terminating at its forward end in a vertical portion or shank 41 arran ed for vertical movement in a bearj mg mem er or clip 42 attached to the bar 5 at a oint in line with the center of the adjacent opper 38, there being arranged for vertical movement in bearing members of straps 43 attached tot-he frame bar 6 a plurality of vertical standards 44 corresponding in number to the number of runners 40 and each terminating at its lower end in a forwardly extending horizontal portion or fork 45 connected at 46 to the rear end-of the adjacent runner, as seen more clearly in Fig. 2. J ournaledin. suitable bearings 47 provided on the fork 45 is a shaft or axle 48 carr p a pair of spaced coverer wheels or disks 49, t e rims of which are inclined in relatively reverse directions, as shown, and for throwing the dirt toward the furrow, there being coiled upon each of'the -standards 44 a normally expanded spring 50 having bearing at its upper end against the clip 43 and at'its lower end against a collar 51, while arranged on each of the stems 41 is a correspondin spring 52 disposed to bear at its upper en against the clip 42 and at its lower end against a-collar 53 fixed on the stem; In action, the springs 50 and 52 serve to hold the runners and covering wheels down to their work,but are adapted to vield for permitting said parts to freely override stones or other obstructions it being noted in this" connection that the necte in such order. by

shaft 15 the slide member 22 will be reciprocated through the medium of the cam Wheel 18 and cooperating rollers, it being noted in this connection that as the wheel 18 revolves the segmental cam ortions 19 will act upon said rollers for positively moving the slide back and forth. During reciprocation of the slide the lever 25' will be rocked and will, through the link connection 27, reciprocate rod 28 which in turn, operates the movable devices connected therewith, it being understood that the repeated movement of the slide 22 and consequently the intervals of operation of the movable devices may be varied at will by varying the number and sizes of the cam portions 19, as heretofore exlained, and further that the mechanism may lie thrown out of action at will by moving the gear 17 longitudinally of the axle 3 and to position fornon-engagement with the pinion 16, as will be readily understood.

As seen in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the machine is equipped with movable devices in the form of cultivating or chopping'blades 88 which are substituted for the movable dropper devices 55 to be 0 erated by the actuatmg rod 28,

these blar es, which are of substantially .h-form in side elevation, being each pivoted at 89 and for vertical swinging movement on the lower end of a post or standard 90 slid ably disposed in one of the clip bearings 42 and having fixed between its side portions 91 a bearing piece'or, web 92 in which the rod 28 has bearing, while arranged on the rod 28 and to hear at their outer ends against stop collars 93v are pairs of normally expanded pressure springs 94, the springs of each pair being disposed respectively on opposite sides of one of the blades and to bear at their inner ends IIO against the adjacent Web 92, for a'purpose pieces 95 carrying rearwardly projecting arms 96 equipped at their rear ends with heads'97 havin bearing openings 98, in which are slida ly disposed the stems or shanks 99 of cultivating blades or hoes 100 arran ed in pairs, as seen in Fi 3, and conarche members or straps 101 adapted to straddle the respective rows of plants, there being pivoted to the upper end-of each arched member a link 102 sli able through an opening in a bearing arm 103 carried on the rear bar of the frame towhich is pivoted a bell crank lever 104 having one of its arms engaged with the upper end of the adj acent link 102 and its other arm 2 5 erliy a irection transversely of the machine.

connected by a link 104 with an actuatin lever 105 which is also connected by a lin 106 with a rocking lever 107 pivoted in a bearin arm 108 fixed on the bar 5 and having its Iower end connected by a link 109 with the upper end of the adjacent standard 90,

it bein understood that the levers 105 cor respond in number to the number of chopping blades 88 and hoes 100 and that each of the levers is adapted for manipulation to raise or lower the corresponding pair or set of blades 88 and 100.

The levers 105 which are attached to the bar 7 by engagin their lower ends through suitable ones of t e vided with looking ogs 110 of usual form and adapted for engagement with toothed segmental racks 111 secured to the bar 7 b fastening members or bolts entered through the openings 9. It will be observed that by providin the openings 8 and 9 at s aced intervals t roughout the entire lengt of the res ective bars 6, 7, the blades 100, together wit the operating levers 105, may be ropadjusted toward and from each ot er in Fixed in each of the blades 88 directly above its active cutting portion and extended parallel with the latter is a bar or web 112 which catches the rass or other material chopped by the bla e and positively sweeps it out of and to the'side of the row through which the blade swings.

It is apparent that during the reciprocation of bar 28 in the'manner heretofore explained, the blades 88 will swin on their pivots 89 back and forth throu the row of plants in the direction indicated by the double arrow in Fig. 4, it being understood that the blades normally stand 11110116 or the other of the dotted line positions indicated in said figure, thus to prevent them from coming in contact with and injuring the plants during the advancing movement of the machine.

Furthermore, it will be understood that in the operation of the machine the movement of the blades 88 is so timed that they will swee throu h the rows'between' the hills or stan s of p ants for cho ping out weeds, grass and the like, and that owing to the lades being adapted for substitution for the dropper plates and to be operated by the same mechanism which actuates the latter, the proper. movement of the blades through the row and relative to the hills, is insured.

Fixed on the cam shaft 15 at a point ad'acent its rear end is a hand wheel 1 13 by which i the shaft mav', after moving the gear 17 longitudinally of shaft 3 for disengagement with pinion 16, be manually turned for properly adjusting the blades 88 and their op'ererforations 9 are proating mechanism relative to the first hill or stand of plants, or in other words for so setting the blades that they will, in operation, swing through the rows at the proper intervals between the plants.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a machine of the t e described, a main frame, a rotary power s aft, a reciprocatory actuating rod sustained in the frame,

a slide member connected with the rod and provided with spaced abutments, a rotary cam shaft having ahead provided with a cam portion adapted to act on the abutments for reciprocating the slide member, operative cluded in said connections for moving the rod at regular predetermined intervals.

3. In a machine of the type described, a main frame, a rotary power shaft mounted therein, a reci rocatory actuating rod sustained in the ame, movable devices connected for actuation b the rod, a slide member mounted in the frame and operatively connected with the rod, s aced rotary abutments provided on the side member, a rotary head arranged between the abutments and having a cam portion ada ted to act thereon for reciprocating the sli e, and operative connections between the head and power shaft.

4. In a machine of the type described, a frame, a rotary power shaft mounted therein, a'reciprocatory actuating rod sustained in the frame, a slide member mounted in the frame and operatively connected with the rod, said slide having a pair of side ortions, rollers journaled in spaced relation etween the guide portions, a cam shaft j ournaled in the frame and operatively connected with the power shaft, a head carried for rotation with the cam shaft and arranged between said rollers, said head being provided with a cam portion adapted to act on the rollers for reciprocating the slide, and movable devices connected for operation by the actuating rod.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ELBERT T. ODOM.

Witnesses:

JOHN L. FLETCHER, FABIUS S. ELMORE.

ICC

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